Unexpected
by PoetheFoe2
Summary: Post Order 66 AU where Satine Kryze survived. Obi-Wan struggled to come to terms with the events of Order 66, but with Satine by his side, there's still some light in his life. Now, the two of them are about to be changed forever by something unexpected.
1. A bump in the road

"So the bad red demon kidnapped the duchess and the knight..."

Two toddlers were tucked in a king sized bed, enraptured by the bedtime story they were being told.

The little boy's eyelids were beginning to droop, but he resisted sleep with all his will. The little girl was sucking on her fingers.

"...and so the knight and the demon fought using their swords of light. It was an epic fight!" the bearded storyteller continued.

The little kids were a perfect audience with their oohs of surprise.

"The knight fell and the bad red demon got closer, ready to strike..."

The children hid themselves under their blanket. That was a scary part.

"His heavy steps got closer and closer..."

The little boy let out a small shriek while his sister giggled.

"And..."

"And then the duchess got up, dusted her silken dress and pushed the bad red demon down the precipice!" a new voice belonging to a woman chimed in cheerfully. She playfully pushed the storyteller and winked at the children.

The two kids burst in giggles and kicked their legs, making a mess of the covers.

"All right, Luke, Leia, time to turn off the lights. May the Force be with your dreams"

It took long for the little Skywalker twins to fall asleep, but when they finally did, their caregivers for the weekend, Obi-Wan "uncle Ben" Kenobi and Satine Kryze (or "Ben's girlfriend", as Leia called her), tiptoed out of their bedroom and sat on the sofa in the living room, tired but happy.

Looking after two Force-sensitive toddlers was exhausting, but they wouldn't trade it for anything in the galaxy.

Satine knew how good it was for her beloved Jedi knight to spend time with the children of his former apprentice and the late Senator Amidala, and, in reality, she was secretly overjoyed by those opportunities as well.

In Leia and Luke, Satine saw a reflection of their parents and of a time that, although challenging, was better under so many point of views.

Those children were a new hope.

In addition to this, both Obi-Wan and Satine actually liked this encounters because, in that way, they could feel like a real family.

Satine wasn't complaining. She felt bad admitting it, but the reality was that her relationship with Obi-Wan had progressed significantly after the downfall of the Jedi Order.

She had helped him and he had helped her. They still spent long periods of time apart, due to their respective roles in the anti-Empire political movement, but the quality time they shared when together more than made up for the lost weeks. Satine had her nephew Korkie and her sister Bo-Katan who needed her help and support; Obi-Wan had Luke and Leia to protect.

Satine was there to relieve Obi-Wan's heartache at having lost a brother, his Jedi Order and an opportunity to prevent bad things from happening.

Obi-Wan was there to relieve Satine's heartache at seeing her world torn apart by war.

Satine had managed to talk the Organas and the Larses into allowing the twins to spend time with each other, and with Obi-Wan, once in a while. She secretly watched over the Larses' finances, making sure Luke wouldn't miss out on anything. Thanks to her mediation, Owen wasn't being too grouchy with Obi-Wan.

All in all, things were going better than Satine had ever hoped for, considering their precarious circumstances and all.

Despite her excommunication, she could still make a difference for the politics of the galaxy.

She knew how incredibly lucky she was to have Obi-Wan survive Order 66, to have him by her side.

There were more than a handful of allies whom they could trust, who were working day in and day out to see the end of the Empire.

She was a survivor, with so much to be thankful for.

Still, there was always a tiny part of her which wondered, from time to time, how different her life would have been had she eloped with Obi-Wan twenty years earlier, after their year together on Mandalore.

Satine had wishes of her own, as did Obi-Wan, but neither of them considered their desires a priority in the grand scheme of things: they had so many causes to serve, people to tend to, mistakes to fix.

This being said, Satine had long given up on starting a family with the man she loved, and the older they got, the more complicated and dangerous their lifestyles became, the more this possibility seemed like a distant, unlikely dream.

ooo

"Be careful, my dear" Obi-Wan kissed Satine's forehead the night before her departure. He was about to leave for a mission himself.

"Said the man who almost lost an arm to his own lightsaber" Satine retorted.

He chuckled, pretending to be wounded by her words, clearly failing at it.

He took a small hand in his, massaging it.

"Your hands are cold"

Satine's smile fell.

"I know. But I guess I'll have to get used to it"

"What do you mean?" he asked warmly.

"My heart will get cold while we're apart, Ben. It is already starting to get colder..." she admitted while looking at him in the eye.

Obi-Wan wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly.

"Let me get it warm for you then..." he said while caressing her.

They kissed, the temperature in the room suddenly rising.

Half an hour and much cuddling later, Satine stopped them, taking his face in her hands.

"It is so late, Obi-Wan. Nobody will be hurt if you leave early tomorrow..."

"Satine, you know I can't" Obi-Wan tried, his hand crawling up her body and starting to unbutton her blouse, therefore contradicting his words.

"Follow me to my bedchamber, my knight"

She pulled apart, leaving a trail of perfume behind as she floated to her chamber. Obi-Wan didn't need to be told twice. He followed her, closing the door behind his back.

Their months of separation would be oh so cold, they needed all the heat they could get that night.

ooo

Three months had passed since his last encounter with the Duchess, so Obi-Wan rushed to the Organa palace on Alderaan anticipating the moment he would be reunited with Satine.

During that time, both of them had risked their lives more than once, but had always tried to downplay the gravity of such events not to worry the other too much. They already had enough stress to put up with as it was.

In public, he and Satine preferred not to let anyone on the fact that they were an item, be it for safety reasons, be for the stigma still attached to the Jedi who opted to have a spouse. Not that there were many left to begin with.

The Organas were holding a formal buffet in their Grand Hall that night to keep their allies up to date with the latest political and strategic news.

Once inside, Obi-Wan approached a long, golden table set up with all kinds of galactic foods and beverages, from barkmeal to thakitillo.

He could sense a couple of strong Force signatures in the room, so he wondered whom they might belong to.

Finally, he saw Satine, dressed in blue satin, stunning as usual, standing below a crystal chandelier, surrounded by a knot of people. Obi-Wan wasn't surprised to see her at the head of a heated debate. He didn't manage to suppress a smirk, intrigued.

"This is most disturbing. We must not act out of our impulses..." she was saying poignantly.

"But, milady, the Empire has called its troops back on several rebel hotbed locations..." someone said.

"That's exactly why the situation calls for extra prudence. We must act cautiously, or else we'll fall in the very trap they have set for us"

"Your Grace seems very absorbed by this theory about the existence of a trap in the first place" he chimed in, making his grand entrance and looking at her straight in the eye. He enjoyed her reaction upon seeing him, of rapture and lust shoddily masked with irritation. Oh, if he loved that woman.

"Really, Master Kenobi? Coming from you, of all people" she sniffed at his insolence.

"Forgive me, Your Grace, but if you are willing to hear another voice on the matter, I'd dare to say that we should wait for tangible proofs of this new Imperial conspiracy before rushing to conclusions" he bowed slightly.

"Oh really?"

"They too may prove to possess a merciful side..."

"Enlighten us, Master Kenobi, has the Empire lifted the bounty on the heads of public enemies, by any chance?" asked Satine in a dangerously saccharine tone.

Caustic as usual, he thought. Though there was something about her tonight, something he was having troubles putting his finger on.

She sounded angrier, nervous, constantly on edge, twitching at every sound and word.

"Must have been a hard three months" Obi-Wan thought.

Even physically, she looked a bit different, her skin being shinier and smoother. Overall she looked...fuller. This kinda pleased Obi-Wan, because it meant that she hadn't gone days barely touching any food, due to the stresses in her life.

All these elements, plus their period of separation, made her all the more appealing to him, to the extent that maintaining his facade of composure was nothing short of torture.

All of a sudden, one of the Organas' guards came running inside the hall.

Obi-Wan sensed a disturbance in the Force - something was wrong.

"The Imperial inquisitors! They're out the door! They must've gotten a tip-off"

Satine looked around the room: panic was written across everyone's faces.

"Come on! Get out! Evacuate the building! I will try to hold them back!" Bail Organa shouted.

Everybody started running in opposite directions. As much as Obi-Wan ached to stay and help deal with the problem at hand, he knew that he had to escape. He grabbed Satine's hand and darted across the hall out of the palace, crossing a drawbridge before it was lifted. They found themselves in the wild countryside

Satine's hold on his hand weakened, and she released him.

They ran and ran, but when he turned to check on her, he was surprised to see her lagging several steps behind, panting and nearly bent in two.

"Satine!" he exclaimed, running at her side "are you all right? Are you hurt?"

Catching her breath with great fatigue, Satine said "No...I am fine, I think. I must be getting old, that's all!" she squealed, irritated.

Obi-Wan was worried. They weren't alone. A strong Force signature lingered around them. He grabbed her hand. "Come on, Satine...I sense a Force presence behind us. We must find refuge!" he dragged her with him as they resumed their running.

When they finally reached the woods, Obi-Wan stopped behind a large tree trunk and hugged her, pressing her against his torso. She leaned in his hug, finally giving in to her emotions.

Obi-Wan ran his hands through her hair, feeling her heart still pounding against his chest. And something else, too. He jolted, sensing the mysterious Force presence closer than ever. How was it possible? He was scared. Were they about to be ambushed? Who was it? It was strange. It was as if this Force presence was very close to them, yet he couldn't see anyone...was it above them? As he raised his head to inspect the tree branches, a realization suddenly hit him.

The Force presence wasn't following them, it was with them. It had been all along.

He gasped, feeling dizzy, realizing what this could mean. It couldn't be...could it?

Obi-Wan's face became as blank as a sheet. He was shaking conspicuously, and Satine noticed it, of course, as antsy as she was.

"Obi, you're trembling"

"You can bet I am..."

"Why? What's wrong?"

He moved a step backwards. How was he going to approach this?

He took both her hands in his, swallowing a huge lump which had just formed in his throat.

"Satine"

"Yes?"

"Satine..."

Satine rolled her eyes. "Obi, I know what my name is. Go on, please"

He held his breath. "How long have you been...feeling like this?"

"Like what?" she snapped warily.

"Uhm...tired?" he felt crazier by the minute.

Satine shook her head, looking sad and revealing her true tiredness all at once. "Tired...tired. Who is not tired of this running for our lives, Obi? I think the physical toll was bound to catch up with me, sooner or later"

"Physical toll? What are you feeling like?"

She was unnerved by his insistent questioning "Obi-Wan, I don't see how this could affect the situation at hand! Weren't we running away from an imminent Force presence?"

Obi-Wan nodded, trying his best to sound reassuring.

"Exactly, the Force presence, dear, you hit the nail on the head. It's here, with us"

Satine backtracked a bit, perhaps starting to understand where this conversation was leading.

"What..." she whispered.

Obi-Wan didn't say anything, he just moved closer to her and rested his hands on her belly. No further words were needed.

Their expressions were priceless.

"Oh Force..."  
"Force...oh Force..."

"What now?"

"I need a cup of strong tea!"

"I need it too!"

ooo

It was late, but Obi-Wan and Satine were as awake as one can be. They were sitting in front of the holo-fireplace in the guest apartment the Organas had assigned Satine for the night, two steaming cups of tea keeping them company. They'd already had tea, but were eager to go for seconds.

"And here I thought I was entering menopause..."  
"...quite the contrary, indeed"

"Sorry Obi, but I still have a hard time believing all of this is real"

"No need to excuse yourself. We're on the same boat"

"I guess I was in denial the whole time..."

"..."

"After all this time...after all these years...why now?"

"We're not doing this child any favor by bringing her or him to life in this dark period" Obi-Wan admitted grimly.

"Yes, it's a dark period. But Obi, I've been thinking...has there ever been a "right" time in our lives? I'm afraid the answer is no. I am scared, of course I am...but I feel that this baby was not a bump in the road. It was meant to be. Moreover, our lives cannot possibly get more complicated than they are, already"

Obi-Wan's sadness was partially lifted. "I hope you're right, Satine. The Force works in mysterious ways..."

Despite his best intentions, Obi-Wan withdrew from her slightly, getting pensive, his face darkening.

Satine didn't say it, but was inwardly hurt by his distancing. She would remain strong, though. She owed it to the child she thought she would never have. She was still very much in shock, but was already loving that little creature growing inside her. There was no doubt she would keep it. She ran her hand over the surface of her belly, which was just beginning to round

"You seem perturbed. Obi-Wan, rest assured, I can provide for this child alone" she said decidedly.

Obi-Wan blinked, realizing how insensitive he was being.

"What are you talking about?" he stuttered

"You are free to go, if you can't accept the idea of becoming a father. I can handle this by myself, as I always have in my life...I'm not afraid to"

Obi-Wan scooted closer to her, taking her hands in his.

"This will not be necessary"

She looked up at him

"Satine, after Order 66, I thought I'd never experience true happiness again. I was wrong. Today I'm overjoyed, and I swear on the Force that I'll always be there for our child, if you deem me fit to cover this role"

Satine shook her head "You fool. I wouldn't wish for anyone else to be my child's father"

He kissed her on the cheek.

"I was just worried, because of the complicated situation we're in, that's all. But I guess you're right, there was never a "right" time. Let's take it as the miracle that it is. We cannot always prevent evil things from happening, but we can make more room for the good things in our lives, and one day, maybe , the light will triumph again"

"We gain strength from the good things, and we live for the hope of more goodness, Obi."

They snuggled up against each other, reflecting on their lives.


	2. Not without a fight

Obi-Wan was on a spaceship headed to Kalevala, Satine's homeworld, where she had spent the last few days with Korkie.

He was returning from a three-week mission on Shili, where he had worked with Ahsoka and the local government to overturn some oppressive measures the Empire had put in place.

Ahsoka was always a Force to work with, as energetic and brilliant as she was. She was one of the few people who knew that he was about to have a child. He recalled the day he broke the news to her. His hands had gotten all sweaty and he had felt so weird telling her, realizing how long of a way he had gone since his days as a member of the Jedi Coucil.

 _ _Flashback__

"Satine is going to have a baby" he had said as nonchalantly as he could.

Ahsoka had laughed at that, picking on him: "Told ya, Master, you should have hurried up declaring yourself to her, now she's carrying another man's offspring..."

"My offspring"

"I know, master, I was just provoking you. Congratulations, this is incredible! Who wouldn't love a little Obi to squeeze? Aw, I can't wait to meet your squishy Benny squirt"

Obi-Wan laughed "What if it's a girl?"

"I don't know. What I do know, is that either way, it'll be a sass master" she declared, her hands on her hips.

Obi-Wan chuckled.

Ahsoka then had gotten all thoughtful "You know, Master, it is so strange hearing this from you. I mean, don't get me wrong, you've got great fatherly qualities and all, but I never thought this day would ever come..."

"I perfectly understand, Ahsoka"

"...this is something I would've rather expected from..." she hesitated a moment "...Anakin"

Obi-Wan suddenly appeared mournful "You said correctly, he actually preceded me. It is very hard for me to look at Luke and Leia, knowing that he will never get to experience life with them, that they will never get to know him"

Ahsoka's expression was visibly pained "Oh, Master! This is so painful! You think about him often, don't you?"

Obi-Wan's shoulders drooped, his face creased by a grief deeper than words could explain "Constantly. But I find solace, knowing that my child will not"

Ahsoka stood silent for a moment, then quietly said: "This is what it's all about, right?"

"I don't know, Ahsoka. What I know, is that we've got one more reason to hope"

ooo

It was a cloudy, chilly day in Kalevala's capital city, so much so that less people than usual were roaming the streets (which is saying something, since, after the rise of the Empire, the cities had gotten considerably less lively throughout the entire galaxy) and silence was reigning everywhere.

Everywhere, with the exception perhaps of the Kryze family home, where a racket could - uncharacteristically - be heard.

As a first reaction, one might be surprised, for the self-collected noble family members rarely expressed themselves in such a loud manner, but, watching closely, all the surprise would fade: Bo-Katan was in the house.

Young politician Korkie was packing, preparing to leave the planet, glad to have an excuse not to be around his feisty aunt.

Satine was sitting on the long, white couch, a hand on her ever-expanding belly, another holding her head or toying with a loose strand of blonde hair, absent-mindedly nodding at everything her sister spat. She suspected that at the root of this impromptu sisterly reunion was the willingness - on behalf of Bo-Katan - to make sure that she and the baby were fine; a suspicion that was strengthened by the redhead's coarse behavior.

"I told you! You shouldn't have accepted that Senator's offer to meet! Now they'll suspect you're in cahoots with the rebels...or that you're pregnant...or both!"

"Come on, don't you think you're exaggerating?"

"Exaggerating?! Exaggerating you say? Have you and that Kenobi freak lost your minds?! Look at you! How can you even be so...tranquil!?"

Satine raised her gaze to observe her sister, who was pacing back and forth, her legs stretched apart as if making room for a spaceship to park between them, her expression willingly hardened as not to let any sign of protectiveness, or - Force forbid - affection, transpire.

"All right. If you're worried we're not taking enough safety measures, then I'll gladly accept your help, since you seem so perturbed"

Bo-Katan's eyes narrowed

"What are you insinuating?"

Satine smirked, looking away

"Absolutely nothing more than you already said yourself, Bo"

Bo-Katan stopped, feeling framed. Truth was, she really cared for Satine and the child she would become an aunt to, but didn't want to let it on. The sisters still had troubles communicating: years of estrangement and reciprocal hurt won't fade in a heartbeat.

Still, Bo-Katan couldn't completely hide behind her __beskar__ -hard shell. Not this time. Her expression softened, her eyes lingering over the expectant Satine.

"I never thought I'd see you like this, sister"

Their eyes met. Satine hesitated for a moment, then spoke her mind.

"Me neither"

Bo-Katan didn't say anything. She blushed lightly, her lips becoming a thin blade. Without looking at Satine in the eye, she moved toward the door.

"I'd better go"

Satine sighed. Well, better than nothing.

She checked the chrono. They'd better hurry as well. She had rendez vous with Obi-Wan soon.

"Korkie, are you ready?"

ooo

Obi-Wan was looking forward to seeing Satine again. He didn't like leaving her for long stretches of time now that she was approaching her due date. He missed her. She had more or less two more weeks to go, and was growing bigger by the day, which made hiding her bump progressively difficult. She was often weary and nauseated. Notwithstanding her predicament, Satine had worked relentlessly throughout all her pregnancy, fighting for justice using all the means she could. She had many enemies, and this worried Obi-Wan, who, being a Jedi at large, was a target himself.

However, he trusted that being reunited with her would reduce his anxiety.

The anticipation for the day they would meet their child was mounting as well. After an initial period when he dared not looking too optimistically at the future, he was now actually allowing himself to picture the moment he would hold his baby in his arms. Having witnessed Padmé dying in childbirth wasn't helping his nerves, but he tried not to let his fears get the better of him. He knew he had to keep his cool, if anything, he owed it to Satine. She was protecting and looking after many people, but, aside from him, she had no-one caring for her.

Moreover, there was no concrete reason to worry about something going wrong, really. Besides her bouts of sickness, Satine was well, and the baby was growing. She had chosen not to find out the sex, saying that she would rather have it be a surprise, and that she would be happy either way. Obi-Wan would, too, although, thanks to his Force-sensitivity, he had an inkling as to what it might be.

Regardless of its sex, that kid had already inherited a wardrobe worthy of an emperor, consisting mostly of bodysuits, jumpsuits, ceremonial dresses, blankets and bath wraps that were worn by members of the Kryze clan as infants, Satine included. Overall, more clothes than Obi-Wan had possessed in his whole lifetime, already.

Now they would have to decide on a few things, the most important of which being where Satine would give birth.

Nevertheless, as much as Obi-Wan tried not to dwell on them, bad presages kept haunting him. He shooed his negative thoughts out of his head, and prepared to land.

He didn't notice a small, solitary spaceship taking a detour to follow him right out of Kalevala's orbit. He couldn't imagine that someone had taken notice of his presence and wouldn't miss a chance to exact a long due revenge.

ooo

Reaching Satine's location was harder than expected. He had to dodge several Imperial guards and mind-trick the spaceship hangar manager into accepting to have him park without releasing his credentials.

Finally, he arrived at the place of their rendez-vous, a disused consulate of the Galactic Republic. Satine had proposed meeting there, since she had had to leave the house to escort Korkie to his spaceship anyway, so that Obi-Wan could meet her without risking being intercepted while on his way to her family home. He knew she was carrying a deactivator with her.

He walked inside through the high glass doors, taking sight of Satine in the center of the room. She was sitting.

He walked toward her, only to have her turn her head at him and shout: "Obi-Wan, get out of here! It's a trap!"

Confused, Obi-Wan barely had the time to blink before Satine was lifted mid-air and Force-choked, a terribly familiar presence releasing itself all over the Force, filling his every cell, suffocating his every pore. Obi-Wan thought he might well die from the shock.

"Maul!" he yelled, while trying to free Satine using the Force. He knew from experience that pregnant women and Force-chokes don't fare well together. He felt crushed by an invisible iron clutch as Darth Maul descended in a cloud of steam from the ceiling.

"Kenobi, here we meet again..." his voice was slithery.

It was a nightmare.

Obi-Wan had turned blue from the unspeakable fear that was gripping him, but even considering this, he still retained enough lucidity to realize that Maul wasn't in too much of a good shape, after all. He looked skinny, as if he were sick, or malnourished; his eyes were crazier than ever, and even his prosthetic legs looked rusty. Obi-Wan seriously considered asking him why, of all moments, he had picked this to make his "not so grand entrance", since he looked pretty battered, but opted not to, seeing how little it would take for him to kill Satine and their unborn baby.

He felt guilty for the millionth time in his life...it was all his fault. He should've paid more attention! Psychologically, he was destroyed.

"I have been awaiting you, Kenobi. I waited patiently ever since this foolish woman landed here" his words were full of hate.

"Maul, be reasonable...it is not convenient for you to be doing this" Obi-Wan hissed, feeling himself getting closer and closer to the verge of the dark side. The way Maul was treating his love was enraging him.

Satine was gagging and turning purple, so he itched to move, his feral instinct urging him to slain the demonic Zabrak once and for all, but he knew that a faux pas could result in her death.

"Oh, you think so, Kenobi? I think it is...imagine my...elation upon finding out not only that the fallen Duchess was here, but that she was carrying your bastard...I was planning on killing her in her sleep, but then I thought, why not, having you witness the whole scene would make my revenge all the sweeter..."

Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber out of pure despair, only to have Maul tighten his Force-grip on Satine's throat. She was flinging herself about with great power of will.

"There's nothing I want in the universe more than to see you suffer, Kenobi"

That was it. In a half-second, Obi-Wan pounced on Maul with all his strength, prompting the Zabrak to ignite his red lightsaber and start a duel. Satine fell on the ground with a thud, coughing, her throat badly sore. She was hurting everywhere, but it sufficed for her to know that her baby was still alive to give her the strength to keep on fighting. Maul probably underestimated the power of maternal love. Having her child to protect now, she had all the more reasons not to give up. Satine forced herself to stand up just as Maul sent Obi-Wan's lightsaber flying up in the air. She gasped, paralyzed by fear, as Maul hurled Obi-Wan, smashing him on the ground. She saw blood forming on his tunic.

She had to act.

Maul got ready to give his enemy the final strike.

"Prepare to be reunited with your master, Kenobi...your woman and your brat will follow soon..."

He lifted his red lightsaber...

...but never got to slash Obi-Wan with it, because another lightsaber, this time a blue one, cut his weapon-wielding arm from behind, causing him to howl in pain.

"I wouldn't be so sure of it, vermin!" a fierce female voice boomed.

Obi-Wan didn't waste any time: he Force-pushed Maul, sending him crashing against some empty cabinets, slabs of plaster falling off the walls, on top of him as well.

He raised his eyes and smiled ecstatically at the sight of Satine clutching his lightsaber tightly in her hand. She had saved him.

She tried to smile back at him, but, instead, she grimaced in pain, collapsing on her knees.

Obi-Wan jumped on his feet, ignoring his own pain, and rushed at her side.

"Satine!" he held her.

Satine gasped, holding her abdomen. Obi-Wan noticed a pool of water gathering at her feet. He panicked, realizing what was happening.

"Obi-Wan...the baby...is coming..." her voice was feeble from Maul's Force-choke.

"We need to leave this planet" he lifted her in his arms.

All at once, they heard an inhuman scream rise from the crumbled walls and cabinets of the consulate. Maul was waking up, and he was angrier than ever.

Obi-Wan ran outside as fast as he could. There was no time to spare. He saw Maul's spaceship parked on the rooftop of an old warehouse nearby and didn't hesitate Force-jumping to reach it. Once inside he turned the control panel on, inserted a destination suggested by Satine and turned the engines to the max, leaving Kalevala behind in a cloud of dust and debris.

At the same time, Maul emerged from the rubble of the post office. He was seething with rage: his plan had failed, and that weakling of a Duchess had even cut his arm. How dare she!

"You...will...regret...it...woman!" he spat, his eyes bulging out of his skull.

"You will pay for it Kenobi! You can't escape me forever!"

ooo

On the spaceship, Obi-Wan was being eaten up alive by angst. He felt like he was rotting inside. Why? Why was he always at the root of so much suffering for the people he loved?

Satine was uncomfortable, dealing with the pain of contractions and a bruised neck, yet she hadn't hesitated making sure he wasn't injured too badly.

"Obi-Wan...you're bleeding"

"Don't worry, it's nothing" Obi-Wan had replied, holding back his tears just in time.

While in hyperspace, he had tried to heal her, acknowledging that this action would deplete him of his forces even more, but he couldn't stand to see her like that. Because of him.

"Obi, stop. I'm fine, now" her voice was still hoarse, her eyes full of worry.

"You will need energy for the labor, for your..." he was about to say "your child". He was feeling depressed, useless, his memories of Padmé's death, Vader's rise and the end of democracy rushing back at him. He was about to give in to his negativity which permeated him like a black ink, giving up his desire to become a father altogether. But then he thought better of it. Satine was in a fragile condition, he couldn't leave her right there and then, and not only physically: he needed to be by her side mentally as well. He wouldn't abandon her.

He imposed himself to be really brave, as Qui-Gon would've expected of him. He wasn't about to let his grief get the better of him.

"...our child"

Satine read him like a book. She helped him out of his dark tunnel, even in her moment of intense pain.

"Don't feel guilty for something that could have happened, Obi-Wan, feel happy, because we managed to escape"

He looked at her lovingly.

"Now help me bring this baby into the galaxy"


	3. Shore of salvation

**Thanks to everyone who faved/reviewed/followed this story.**

They landed on a sparsely inhabited planet, where the sun was shining and a soft breeze was blowing. Obi-Wan had never set foot on there before, but Satine had made it clear that she knew what she was doing. Before getting heavily involved with Mandalorian politics, her mother used to be the administrator of a small seaside village there, and her family still retained a house on a heavily forested hill, right where the woods met the sea. Satine had only visited the place a couple of times as a young girl, but she had fond memories of it, she oft recounted. She would tap on those memories when she needed to think of "peace", because, in her experience, few planets captured that concept better than the one they were on.

Obi-Wan was mostly absorbed by the extravagant Duchess who was about to give birth to his kid, by her ailments and by her bursts of excitement, but he managed to appreciate the breathtaking beauty of the planet nonetheless. At fist sight, it looked like a small paradise, with the kind of nature that was mild and beneficial to humans, not extreme and hostile. The Force was harmonious there.

They left the spaceship on a small sandy beach, then proceeded to enter a trail in the hilly conifer and softwood woods, which, according to Satine's instructions, would lead them to the village, and to the house.

Obi-Wan had been reluctant at first, seeing the state she was in and everything, but soon realized they had no other choice left. It wasn't like there were any roads, and they had no boats nor vessels to reach their destination by sea.

Therefore, slowly, patiently and trying his best not to lose his cool, Obi-Wan escorted his beloved up the wild trail. He was more nervous than he'd ever been on his missions during the Clone Wars, but was set on not letting any of it transpire, because he believed that Satine deserved all the positivity she could get. They stopped every two steps or so, waiting for her contractions to reach their peak and then subside, so that she could resume walking.

Soon enough, not caring about his own injuries and tiredness, it became clear to Obi-Wan that Satine wouldn't be able to progress on her two feet, so he swept her in his arms and carried her. This scene was familiar to them under so many aspects, recalling of the time they spent together on Mandalore, running for their lives. Obi-Wan wondered what his twenty-something self would say if he was told what he'd do with that same Duchess of Mandalore, twenty years later. Probably he would laugh sarcastically, dismissing the improbable scenario, wondering what sort of jokester would make up something like that.

After a particularly steep uphill segment of the trail, Obi-Wan involuntarily grunted, and Satine twisted uncomfortably in his arms, visibly in pain. He eased her down on the leaf-carpeted ground, wiping beads of sweat off her forehead. She was very pale. He placed a hand on her stomach. The baby was well active, kicking and turning as if on a Jedi dojo, and this relieved him. He tried communicating with the kid through the Force, telling him or her to take it easy, but was a bit reluctant to do so, unwilling to interfere with the natural process of labor.

As they laid there, under the thick foliage, he couldn't help but compare this scene with the day he almost lost Satine, a few years earlier.

Ever since meeting each other, they had defied countless odds, surpassed insurmountable obstacles, gone through thick and thin. They had faced potentially fatal threats, always held together by the mutual love they shared. And now here they were. They'd gone so far. They were so close to fulfilling this dream of theirs. So close.

He looked into her eyes, where he could distinctly see the determination to bring this day to happy closure; a willingness he shared.

Satine was in a great deal of pain. Nonetheless, she made an effort to use her calmest voice when she spoke.

"Obi-Wan, we're halfway through the trail. I'm afraid we will never reach the village in time" she managed to enunciate before another wave of pain overpowered her, prompting her to squeeze the Jedi's hand.

Obi-Wan felt at loss: he had no idea what to do, he was scared and felt that if anything went wrong, he'd be surpassingly responsible. Yet, pushed by Satine's positive attitude, he took a leap of faith, preparing himself for anything.

"What would you like me to do?"

"There is a small bay below this trail. Bring me there, so that I can be close to the sea"

"Does it imply that...?" Obi-Wan asked, trying to steady himself.

"I don't know how long we've got left, but I suppose it's not much. The contractions are coming in close succession..."

Obi-Wan wasn't just afraid. He was terrified at the prospect of acting as sole birthing assistant for the Duchess, but he gathered all the strength he could get and fulfilled her wish.

Carrying Satine all the way, he carefully made the slippery, downhill trip to the small, secluded beach. She had wrapped her arms around his neck and was miserable.

That section of the coast looked like a small paradise: it was characterized by round, smooth, white and aqua stones, pink-yellowish sand and rocky coves which provided natural shelters.

Obi-Wan carried Satine inside one of these small refuges, and waited.

The sounds of the sea, the calm washing of the foam on the foreshore, the briny smell of the rocks, proved to be an excellent remedy for their nerves.

The afternoon sun was getting lower on the horizon, signaling that they didn't have many hours left before sunset.

Obi-Wan was trying his best to make Satine comfortable. He picked wild berries for her when she said she was hungry, he stood with her when she wanted to stand and sat by her side when she needed to lie, he let her squeeze his hands or harpoon his shoulders as much as she wished, yet he still inwardly felt like he wasn't doing nearly enough to relieve her. Although witnessing the Skywalker twins' birth, he had little knowledge of the specifics of the birthing process per se, and although he was an experienced Jedi, he was unprepared for such an occurrence. There were already enough irons in the fire as it were, and he didn't know what was normal to expect and what was not.

Satine, on her hand, was starting to feel really unwell, but preferred not to lose her positive attitude: this was supposed to be a happy day, and if Satine Kryze wanted something to go her way, chances were she would succeed, so she continued to condition the general mood in a favorable manner.

However, she couldn't deny that the tumultuous day's happenings were taking a toll on her health: she was sore from Maul's attack, the contractions were getting so painful that she felt like they might split her in two pieces, she had a bad headache and those berries she'd just eaten were starting to cause her a gastric discomfort...nonetheless she tried to fill her senses and soul with all the goodness that was surrounding her in that moment: she had survived yet another madman's attempt on her life, she was on a beautiful planet, in front of a magnificent sea, in a relaxing, bountiful setting, with the man she loved who was supporting her as she was about to give birth to the fruit of their love. She recognized how privileged she was, since it would've taken just a simple detail going differently on so many circumstances in her life for her to have ended up in a grave instead of where she was.

All of a sudden, much to Obi-Wan's horror, she threw up. She guessed it was something to be expected in her condition, but be it due to the berries she'd just eaten, or from some internal damage caused by Maul, there was some redness in the vomit.

Obi-Wan paled considerably. He looked at her pasty complexion and gulped, but didn't say anything. Satine knew he was trying his best not to upset her, but was inwardly tormented. Suddenly, she saw herself make a drastic - but necessary - decision.

"Obi-Wan" she called out to him.

He had been massaging her back, but instantly moved to face her.

She took a deep breath, taking a moment to look into his eyes, getting a non-verbal confirmation that they were together in this. She took his hands, placing them on her huge belly.

"Tell me, is the baby all right?"

Obi-Wan did not answer right away. He frowned, concentrating for long moments, covering the surface of her active bump with his palms.

"I think so" his voice was trembling. "But I am concerned about you".

She understood he was referring to her throwing-up something that could - or could not - have been blood. This unknown factor added all the more uncertainty to their makeshift "delivery team" situation.

Satine therefore spoke with the charm and convincing authority of an experienced duchess.

"I need you to trust me now, Ben: go to the village. The trail will lead you there. Once you reach it, you'll find a stone cathedral by the sea. Behind that building, there's the main square. Ask for midwives, and please, bring them here"

Obi-Wan's eyes grew larger "Satine..."

"It's the right thing to do, Obi. If complications arise, we'll be alone...besides, I don't think it would be optimal for the baby to spend her or his first night out here in the cold"

"First night..." Obi-Wan thought. The birth really was imminent.

"But what if you...I don't know if I can bring myself to leave you in this state"

"You're a Jedi, I know you can. Trust me, it's the best thing to do" she said through gritted teeth as she was gripped by a particularly intense contraction.

Obi-Wan silently nodded, resolving on parting ways. He kissed Satine tenderly on the lips and covered her with his Jedi cloak, worried she might get cold from lying outside.

Then he climbed back up to the trail and rushed as much as he could.

ooo

Obi-Wan ran so hard his spleen hurt, an indescribable feeling of anticipation and belonging empowering him.

He had not been so fast since his missions with Anakin, when they both were more reckless than they should've been. Thanks to this speed, he reached the village in half a hour.

The place was truly mesmerizing, Satine had been right, had he not been in such a hurry he would've certainly stopped to appreciate its every corner; however, now, with more pressing matters, he made his debut in the main square flailing his arms about as if he'd lost his mind, shouting in a very un-Jedi manner.

"Help! Help me! The mother of my child is about to give birth! I need a midwife!"

More than a few heads turned as he approached. There was some sort of fair going on, and the square was relatively lively, considering how small the village was.

Upon seeing Obi-Wan's distressed appearance and his blood-stained clothes, a few merchants or stand-owners offered their help, sending someone to call the midwives and making him drink a herbal healing concoction. Obi-Wan felt immediately better.

Suddenly, two middle-aged women with frizzy hair and leather boots showed up, walking straight to him with a down-to-business attitude.

"What's the matter, dude?" they asked briskly, their hands on their hips.

Obi-Wan blinked, taking-in the vaguely bohemian air of his interlocutors, then told them about Satine, alone on the shore.

The elder of the two women snapped her fingers.

"Come on! There's no time to spare" and the pair gingerly jogged to the small pier of the village, not far from the square, followed closely by Obi-Wan.

"How long do you think it will take you?" the Jedi asked, eyeing doubtfully the small vessel they had approached.

"It will take one hour to make the crossing" they said in unison as they started loading the boat.

"We're being as quick as possible"

Obi-Wan winced. He couldn't wait so much, Satine may not have the luxury of so much time. He ached to be reunited with her.

"I'll see you there" he bid them farewell, running his way back to the trail.

ooo

Small chips of wood snapped under his feet as he ran. Now, with his forces partially restored, it took him even less time to reach his destination. He was going crazy: what if something had gone wrong in his absence? What if he'd missed his own baby's birth, leaving Satine all alone to deal with it?

A little while before arriving at the small beach, the Force granted him a much-needed reassurance, for he was able to sense her presence. That tranquilized him considerably, as she didn't seem overly distressed.

Once on the beach, he found that Satine had disposed of all her clothes, leaving them on the rocks. It was easy for him to spot her inside the water, where she was drawing circles and slowly rocking herself, looking quite restless.

He immediately took his clothes off, leaving just his boxer briefs on, and reached her in the sea.

Inside the marine water, Satine had experienced instant relief; her aching limbs distending considerably. She hugged her belly and let the gentle waves cuddle her as she saw Obi-Wan approaching, a sensation of peace finally filling her. This felt so natural.

She extended her arms to welcome him as they were reunited.

The sun was setting and the water was reflecting all the magic colors of dusk.


	4. Another reason to hope

****Chapter 4: One more reason to hope****

 ** **This is the last chapter. I may later write something exploring the political/strategic side of post Order 66 with an emphasis on Obitine, but the #1 aim of this story was to give them somewhat of a happy ending. Thank you.****

"Obi-Wan, I think I...OUCH! I feel that I need to start pushing"

Obi-Wan quivered.

"Yes, my dear" he then knelt slightly and, touching her belly, whispered "Come baby, we're awaiting you"

Satine was inspired: "Yes, baby, don't be shy! Come meet your crazy parents!" she half-blurted, half-chuckled, all the while being bent in two by her pain.

"What a reassurance for this kid" Obi-Wan lightheartedly put in.

"Come meet this terrific mother of yours..." Satine continued on her charade, splashing around and generating some foam.

"...pacifist slayer of red and black demons!"

Her attempts at lightening up the atmosphere only partially paid off, though, because soon she was overcome by a pain so intense that she had to use Obi-Wan as support even just to keep her face out of the water.

Obi-Wan, as previously stated, wasn't a childbirth expert, but he could feel she was very close. He kissed her temple.

"Come on, my dear, you're almost there"

She twitched and knelt slightly. She was pushing now.

"Come on, I feel the baby wants out"

Satine moaned, squeezing her eyes shut.

"There you go, you're doing wonderfully!"

Obi-Wan felt her tense through the Force. He could only imagine what she must be going through.

Then, suddenly, her irregular bursts of struggle in the Force stopped, leaving room for a spark instead. It was all-encompassing and downright beautiful, just as it was during Leia and Luke's birth. He was filled with joy, tingling at his throat, spreading inside him.

Satine exhaled, then submerged her hands, reaching for something below the surface of the sea.

Obi-Wan shouldn't have really been surprised, but when he saw the puffy face and torso of a newborn emerge he held his breath, and felt tears forming in his eyes.

That was their child. His child.

"Hello love" Satine sighed, starting to cry herself. She brought the baby close to her body, holding it against her chest, as it released the very first wails, starting to cry, to breathe, to live outside the womb.

Obi-Wan wrapped an arm around Satine, while extending the other arm to touch his baby for the first time. The little one squirmed under his touch, the tender soft skin a stark contrast to his calloused hand. Through the Force, everything about this first contact felt beautiful.

They spent long, blissful moments in the water, like that, enchanted by what had just happened, savoring this new beginning.

Eventually they thought it wise to head outside, since in the absence of solar rays, the planet was starting to cool.

They gathered under the cove where Satine had left her clothes right when the midwives' boat appeared on the horizon.

Obi-Wan wrapped his cloak around her, making sure she and the baby would stay warm.

He couldn't keep his eyes off them. Satine still had her placenta to expel, therefore was still attached to the baby, whom she was still holding tightly and who was all covered in gunk, but ridiculously cute nonetheless. It turned out to be a boy.

Obi-Wan had always suspected that it would be a boy, but he had never voiced it aloud, in part because he had decided with Satine that they wanted to keep it a surprise, in part because, in truth, he was secretly scared of becoming a boy dad. It was a setting that reminded him a lot of his relationship with Qui-Gon and with Anakin, and although he was happy for a chance to recreate in part what he had lost, he was also traumatized by how things had ended up with both Anakin and Qui-Gon. However, he recognized that this was his perception, based on his personal experiences, and what had happened had little to do with the gender of this baby. Today was a happy day, and looking at his son, so tiny and vulnerable, he decided to put his anxieties aside, and concentrate on the here and now.

The midwives arrived, starting to fret over Satine and the newborn right away.

ooo

The details of the following hours would be destined to remain a blur in Obi-Wan's memory, absorbed as he was by his loved ones. Soon enough, all five of them boarded the boat, heading to the village. Satine was vaguely aware of the moons above their heads, or of the rhythmic sound of the water splashing the sides of the vessel as they advanced.

They eventually hit a berth at the small pier of the village, so Obi-Wan helped unload the boat as the midwives docked it and the small party made its way up the green hill, to the Kryze family property.

They entered and activated a small delegation of domestic droids who immediately began to scrub and tidy-out the place to make it habitable again.

Obi-Wan went for a much needed shower himself, then returned to one of the midwives handing him his swaddled baby. He held him close, sending soothing waves through the Force. Sensing that he was safe, the child wrapped his minuscule fingers around his much larger index, melting Obi-Wan's heart.

Meanwhile, the midwives took proper care of Satine, cleaning her up, stitching her up and giving her instructions for her and the baby's care. They even knocked-up a broth for all of them to share.

Satine was absolutely hungry, but after a double helping of broth, two raw carrots and some fruit she seemed fine and ready to head upstairs, so everybody moved to the cozy bedroom on the second floor.

Satine motioned to climb in bed, gladly looking forward to some rest, being very sore. It was remarkable how she managed to maintain her royal dignity even when she looked as she did in that moment, disheveled and in deshabille, closer in appearance to a shipwreck survivor than to the duchess of a large galactic sector.

When her aching back hit the mattress, she let out a relieved sigh, closing her eyes for a moment. Obi-Wan helped her in and handed her their now crying and squirming son as the midwives applied some ointment on her bruised neck.

Once certain that Satine and the baby would do well on their own, the midwives headed downstairs, asking Obi-Wan to follow them.

He obliged, not before throwing one last look at Satine and the child. Their eyes met momentarily, before he closed the door behind him, descending.

As he had expected, the midwives were filling him in with baby care details and such, making sure over and over again that nothing would be lost on him.

"Now, you're more awake than she is right now, you didn't give birth, so we'll repeat it to you..."

"...make sure she gets plenty of rest in the next few days!"

"She's youthful for her age, but today was rough on her. Don't stress her out!"

"...concerning the baby, he's a bit early, but he'll be fine: he's got plenty of meat around his bones. Help her take care of him!"

"Of course I will" Obi-Wan spoke quietly for the first time ever since their scolding began. He was in awe: everything had happened for real.

He walked them to the door, thanking them.

"We'll be back tomorrow" and just like that, they were gone.

Plenty of rest. Obi-Wan couldn't remember when was the last time when Satine had been able to get rest. Probably now, having to care for a newborn wouldn't exactly be conductive to long hours of restoring and uninterrupted sleep, but he would do his best so that she wouldn't have to get up at night.

Obi-Wan returned upstairs, and paused for a moment to look at his...family, his heart still having trouble believing what his eyes were seeing. Smiling, he quietly slipped under the covers, next to Satine, who was breastfeeding their son.

Obi-Wan snuggled against her, encircling her with an arm, stroking the baby's light tufts of hair softly with his free hand. He was a cute baby, with well-proportioned facial features and blue eyes. It was still early to tell, but his hair appeared to be blonde with some copper highlights in it. While stroking his curling little hands, he realized he had most likely inherited his long fingers. And Satine's full lips. Most importantly, he was healthy, and Maul had inflicted no lasting damage on neither him or his mum. Maul. The very thought of him and of what he had almost succeeded doing was enough to make him cringe. He knew they weren't out of the woods yet. Maul had once again proved that he wouldn't stop until he exacted his vengeance. Nauseated and on the verge of anger, Obi-Wan successfully managed to chase his bad sentiments out of his head just by concentrating on the people beside him. They were more than he could've possibly hoped for himself, way more than he deserved. His thoughts wandered to Qui-Gon, who, despite his positive outlook on everything had had to sacrifice so much in life, and to Anakin, who, despite wanting it very much, had never gotten to experience with Padmé what he was now experiencing with Satine. He felt so undeserving...everything was so unjust. He felt like he was on the verge of tears but, once again, focusing on Satine next to him was enough to re-direct his attention away from the dark corners of his soul. She had saved him so many times.

He kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you Satine"

She turned her head to face him, sensing his unspoken pensiveness, despite her tiredness. With her gaze, she encouraged him to speak further.

"Satine, you...saved all of us. If it weren't for you, probably now Maul would've killed us all. If it weren't for you, now this baby wouldn't exist, because I would be too paralyzed by grief to remember to live"

She simply raised a hand to stroke his bearded cheek.

"Thank you Obi Wan, for always being by my side when I need you, for welcoming our son alongside me..."

He smiled half sadly, half tenderly.

"For believing in the impossible and persisting even when everybody else would quit...Life with you is better. I wouldn't have it any other way"

She held the baby's little foot in her hand.

"Look at our son, isn't he precious?"

"Yes, he is"

Moonlight filtering through the windows, the small family fell asleep together for the first time. The night was far from over, they would wake up to a screaming baby multiple times, but they were happy, knowing that they had one more reason to hope.


End file.
